“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:24-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.16.24-28.esv
All,This stands out because Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Notice the order. 1) Deny self 2) take up cross(self dies) 3) Follow Jesus. You would think that to follow Jesus would be first, but He knows that we can’t serve ourselves and Him, so we must deny ourselves before we can truly follow Him. Please pray that we and our friends hold Christ first over all today. Please pray for David and Wes’s group.

“Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15:29-31‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.15.29-31.esv
All,This stands out because Matthew says, “And they glorified the God of Israel.” How did they glorify God? Was it their gratitude for being healed? Was it their inner glow after being with Jesus? Hasn’t Jesus “healed” us all in some way? The Westminster Catechism says the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Please pray that we and our friends glorify God with our gratefulness today. Please pray for Doug and Michael’s group.

“but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:24-32‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.14.24-32.esv
All,This stands out because Matthew says, “ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”. Peter walked on water! Can you imagine walking on water? Have you reflected back and been in awe that something turned out the way it did and knew with no doubt that Jesus was involved? Then why do we also doubt like Peter when we see the wind? Our circumstances NEVER surprise Jesus. Please pray that we and our friends stay focused on Jesus always and especially in difficult circumstances. Please pray for Connor and Knox’s group.

“And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:26-32‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.12.26-32.esv
All,This stands out because Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Is it possible to just be neutral? No. Is it possible to just be a good person that goes to heaven without Jesus? No. We are either with Him or against Him. If we aren’t with Him, then we are against Him. Are you relying on Him today or something else? Please pray that we and our friends are with Him. Please pray for Ransom and Doug’s group.

“”Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:21-27‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.7.21-27.esv
All,This stands out because Jesus says, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” These people “do mighty works” in Jesus’s name, but Jesus doesn’t know them? How do we know the will of the Father if we don’t know Jesus? Are we trying to be the sheep or the shepherd(Psalm 23)? Please pray that we and our friends ask Jesus to reveal to us if we have a true relationship with Him. Please pray for Christians to see people the way that Jesus sees them.

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:31-34‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.6.31-34.esv
All,This stands out because Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” This is a great verse to read daily as it sets our perspective to God instead of anything else. How many things tempt us to seek them first? Email? Circumstances? People’s opinion? Control? Fill in the blank. He knows what’s best and He has a plan. Please pray that we and our friends seek Him first today and obey. Please pray for those considering CLC.

“”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:43-48‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.5.43-48.esv
All,This stands out because Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Do we see our enemies as fellow sons of God? Does God not love all His children even if He doesn’t love their actions? Can we see that there are spiritual forces at play and sin behind strife in this world? To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, we have never met a mere mortal. Please pray that we and our friends pray for our “enemies” today. Please pray for the CLC groups that are currently meeting.

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'”

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3:1-3, 11‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.3.1-3,11.esv
All,This stands out because John says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Repentance is very important to John and Jesus as the first step in our walk w Christ. Until we recognize our sin and sinful nature, do we really think we need God? As a friend said recently, we need to be broken before we really trust God. Please pray that we and our friends repent today for any unconfessed sins. Please pray for our nations leaders.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:1-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/mat.1.1-7.esv
All,This stands out because Matthew says, “And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah”. As we know that David killed Uriah because of his relations with Bathsheba. The Bible doesn’t sugar coat mans’ sins. It reveals them to show God working every situation for His purpose. Please pray that we and our friends recognize our sins today and repent of them and move forward in God’s purpose for our lives. Please pray for christians to display the Fruit of the Spirit today.

“Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭66:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/isa.66.1-2.esv
All,This stands out because the Lord says, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” There are times when I’m contrite and humble, but there are other times of spiritual pride. It’s funny how when I think I’m “doing something” for the kingdom, pride will sneak in, where as God will use us more in our times of true humility as we will “tremble” at His Word. It’s also easier to see Him as the shepherd and us as the sheep in those times. Please pray that we and our friends tremble at His Word. Please pray about joining me in reading the New Testament over the next year. I’ll start the plan in about a week through You version Bible app. Email me if you want to join in the reading plan.